Search

This article addresses the emergence of a niche for sustainable agricultural production in the province of García Rovira, Colombia. It examines the intervention of the Colombian planning regime, which implements agendas for sustainable territorial development. However, these agendas are not adequately aligned with provincial realities, resulting in a productive decline. From a multi-level perspective, a production niche linked to the landscape has been identified, emphasizing sustainable practices and innovation. This study aimed to explore how planning influences the emergence of such niches and identified factors that promote their transition towards sustainability. Through a mixed methodology, growing sectors were accentuated and the profiles of the producers involved were outlined. The main conclusion is that the planned intervention is inefficient as the niche of sustainable production emerges without a clear influence. Therefore, it is proposed to re-evaluate planning using alternative analysis frameworks to detect emerging productive dynamics, serving as a basis for future plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic inflammation and immunodeficiency are important components of cirrhosis-associated immune dysfunction (CAID), the severity of which is dynamic, progressive, and associated with the greater deterioration of liver function. Two inflammation phenotypes have been described: low-grade and high-grade systemic inflammation. Both of these phenotypes are related to liver cirrhosis function; thus, high-grade inflammation is correlated with the severity of hepatic insufficiency, bacterial translocation, and organic insufficiency, with which the risk of infections increases and the prognosis worsens. Bacterial translocation (BT) plays a relevant role in persistent systemic inflammation in patients with cirrhosis, and the prophylactic employment of antibiotics is useful for reducing events of infection and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a systematic review using PRISMA methodology to explore trends in the use of machine and deep learning in diagnosing and detecting Alzheimer's disease using electroencephalography. This review covers studies published between 2013 and 2023, drawing on three leading academic databases: Scopus, Web of Science, and PubMed. The validity of the databases is evaluated considering essential factors such as the arrangement of EEG electrodes, data acquisition methodologies, and the number of participants. Additionally, the specific properties of the databases used in the research are highlighted, including EEG signal classification, filtering, segmentation approaches, and selected features. Finally, the performance metrics of the classification algorithms are evaluated, especially the accuracy achieved, offering a comprehensive view of the current state and future trends in the use of these technologies for the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, Yu et al. derived a factorization procedure for detecting and computing the potential self-intersection of 3D integral Bézier cubics, claiming that their proposal distinctly outperforms existing methodologies. First, we recall that in the 2D case, explicit formulas already exist for the parameter values at the self-intersection (the singularity called crunode in algebraic geometry). Such values are the solutions of a quadratic equation, and affine invariants depend only on the curve hodograph. Also, the factorization procedure for cubics is well known. Second, we note that only planar Bézier cubics can display a self-intersection, so there is no need to address the problem in the more involved 3D setting. Finally, we elucidate the connections with the previous literature and provide a geometric interpretation, in terms of the affine classification of cubics, of the algebraic conditions necessary for the existence of a self-intersection. Cubics with a self-intersection are affine versions of the celebrated Tschirnhausen cubic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV infection results in marked alterations in the gut microbiota (GM), such as the loss of microbial diversity and different taxonomic and metabolic profiles. Despite antiretroviral therapy (ART) partially ablating gastrointestinal alterations, the taxonomic profile after successful new ART has shown wide variations. Our objective was to determine the GM composition and functions in people living with HIV (PLWHIV) under ART in comparison to seronegative controls (SC). Fecal samples from 21 subjects (treated with integrase strand-transfer inhibitors, INSTIs) and 18 SC were included. We employed 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, coupled with PICRUSt2 and fecal short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) quantification by gas chromatography. The INSTI group showed a decreased α-diversity (p < 0.001) compared to the SC group, at the expense of increased amounts of Pseudomonadota (Proteobacteria), Segatella copri, Lactobacillus, and Gram-negative bacteria. Concurrently, we observed an enrichment in Megasphaera and Butyricicoccus, both SCFA-producing bacteria, and significant elevations in fecal butyrate in this group (p < 0.001). Interestingly, gut dysbiosis in PLWHIV was characterized by a proinflammatory environment orchestrated by Pseudomonadota and elevated levels of butyrate associated with bacterial metabolic pathways, as well as the evident presence of butyrogenic bacteria. The role of this unique GM in PLWHIV should be evaluated, as well as the use of butyrate-based supplements and ART regimens that contain succinate, such as tenofovir disoproxil succinate. This mixed profile is described for the first time in PLWHIV from Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inflammation is the immune system's first biological response to infection, injury, or irritation. Evidence suggests that the anti-inflammatory effect is mediated by the regulation of various inflammatory cytokines, such as nitric oxide, interleukins, tumor necrosis factor alpha-α, interferon gamma-γ, as well as the non-cytokine mediator, prostaglandin E2. Currently, the mechanism of action and clinical usefulness of phytochemicals is known; their action on the activity of cytokines, free radicals, and oxidative stress. The latter are of great relevance in the development of diseases, such that the evidence collected demonstrates the beneficial effects of phytochemicals in maintaining health. Epidemiological evidence indicates that regular consumption of fruits and vegetables is related to a low risk of developing cancer and other chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) is an inflammatory condition temporally associated with COVID-19 in children; nevertheless, the clinical and immunologic spectrum of MIS-C is heterogeneous, and its long-term effects are unknown. During the period of August 2020 to December 2021, a total of 52 MIS-C cases were confirmed in pediatric patients from the Hospital del Niño DIF Hidalgo, diagnosed using criteria from the World Health Organization. All patients had serologic IgG confirmation of SARS-CoV2, the mean age of the patients was 7 years, and 94% of the patients did not have a previous underlying disease. In addition to the presentation of lymphopenia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia, elevations in D-dimer and ferritin levels were observed in all patients. There was clinical improvement with intravenous gamma globulin and corticosteroid treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiretroviral therapies (ART) are strongly associated with weight gain and metabolic syndrome (MetS) development in HIV-infected patients. Few studies have evaluated the association between gut microbiota and integrase strand transfer inhibitor (INSTI)-based and protease inhibitor (PI)-based regimens in HIV-infected patients with MetS. To assess this, fecal samples were obtained from HIV-infected patients treated with different regimens (16 PI + MetS or 30 INSTI + MetS) and 18 healthy controls (HCs). The microbial composition was characterized using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The INSTI-based and PI-based regimens were associated with a significant decrease in α-diversity compared to HCs. The INSTI + MetS group showed the lowest α-diversity between both regimens. A significant increase in the abundance of short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing genera (Roseburia, Dorea, Ruminococcus torques, and Coprococcus) was observed in the PI + MetS group, while Prevotella, Fusobacterium, and Succinivibrio were significantly increased in the INSTI + MetS group. Moreover, the Proteobacteria/Firmicutes ratio was overrepresented, and functional pathways related to the biosynthesis of LPS components were increased in the INSTI + MetS group. The gut microbiota of patients receiving INSTIs showed a more pronounced dysbiosis orchestrated by decreased bacterial richness and diversity, with an almost complete absence of SCFA-producing bacteria and alterations in gut microbiota functional pathways. These findings have not been previously observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution is a worldwide environmental and human health problem. Prosopis laevigata is a hyperaccumulator legume that bioaccumulates Pb, Cu and Zn. With interest in designing phytoremediation strategies for sites contaminated with heavy metals, we isolated and characterized endophytic fungi from the roots of P. laevigata growing on mine tailings located in Morelos, Mexico. Ten endophytic isolates were selected by morphological discrimination and a preliminary minimum inhibitory concentration was determined for zinc, lead and copper. A novel strain of Aspergillus closest to Aspergillus luchuensis was determined to be a metallophile and presented a marked tolerance to high concentrations of Cu, Zn and Pb, so it was further investigated for removal of metals and promotion of plant growth under greenhouse conditions. The control substrate with fungi promoted larger size characters in P. laevigata individuals in comparison with the other treatments, demonstrating that A. luchuensis strain C7 is a growth-promoting agent for P. laevigata individuals. The fungus favors the translocation of metals from roots to leaves in P. laevigata, promoting an increased Cu translocation. This new A. luchuensis strain showed endophytic character and plant growth-promotion activity, high metal tolerance, and an ability to increase copper translocation. We propose it as a novel, effective and sustainable bioremediation strategy for copper-polluted soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Electromyography (EMG) processing is a fundamental part of medical research. It offers the possibility of developing new devices and techniques for the diagnosis, treatment, care, and rehabilitation of patients, in most cases non-invasively. However, EMG signals are random, non-stationary, and non-linear, making their classification difficult. Due to this, it is of vital importance to define which factors are helpful for the classification process. In order to improve this process, it is possible to apply algorithms capable of identifying which features are most important in the categorization process. Algorithms based on metaheuristic methods have demonstrated an ability to search for suitable subsets of features for optimization problems. Therefore, this work proposes a methodology based on genetic algorithms for feature selection to find the parameter space that offers the slightest classification error in 250 ms signal segments. For classification, a support vector machine is used. For this work, two databases were used, the first corresponding to the right upper extremity and the second formed by movements of the right lower extremity. For both databases, a feature space reduction of over 65% was obtained, with a higher average classification efficiency of 91% for the best subset of parameters. In addition, particle swarm optimization (PSO) was applied based on right upper extremity data, obtaining an 88% average error and a 46% reduction for the best subset of parameters. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was applied to the characteristics selected by PSO and genetic algorithms for the database of the right upper extremity, obtaining that the parameters determined by the genetic algorithms show greater sensitivity for the classification process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The excessive use of antibiotics has triggered the appearance of new resistant strains, which is why great interest has been taken in the search for new bioactive compounds capable of overcoming this emergency in recent years. Massive sequencing tools have enabled the detection of new microorganisms that cannot be cultured in a laboratory, thus opening the door to the search for new biosynthetic genes. The great variety in oceanic environments in terms of pressure, salinity, temperature, and nutrients enables marine microorganisms to develop unique biochemical and physiological properties for their survival, enhancing the production of secondary metabolites that can vary from those produced by terrestrial microorganisms. We performed a search for type I PKS genes in metagenomes obtained from the marine sediments of the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico using Hidden Markov Models. More than 2000 candidate genes were detected in the metagenomes that code for type I PKS domains, while biosynthetic pathways that may code for other secondary metabolites were also detected. Our research demonstrates the great potential use of the marine sediments of the Gulf of Mexico for identifying genes that code for new secondary metabolites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) (BW) is one of the most well-known and historically important insect pests in the Americas. Presently it is a key pest of cotton in Mexico and Central and South America. In the United States, a successful area-wide pest management program has eradicated the pest from nearly the entire country, except for the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of extreme southern Texas. Eradication in the US has been successful, in part, because the insect can only develop on a narrow range of host plant species besides cotton, none of which occur outside of Texas and Arizona. However, wild host plants are an important consideration for management of this pest in regions where they are present and for preventing reinfestations in areas where eradication has been successful. Here, we present the first detailed analyses of the potential distributions of all known significant wild host plants of the boll weevil in the United States and Mexico. These analyses will enable management to better evaluate the role of wild host plants in their management areas, improve existing boll weevil eradication strategies, and provide insights into the evolutionary history of this important pest insect. The boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis Boheman) reproduces on a reported 13 species of wild host plants in North America, two in the United States and 12 in Mexico. The distributions of these plants are of economic importance to pest management and provide insight into the evolutionary history and origin of the BW. However, detailed information regarding the distributions of many of these species is lacking. In this article, we present distribution models for all of the reported significant BW host plants from Mexico and the United States using spatial distribution modelling software. Host plant distributions were divided into two groups: "eastern" and "western." In Mexico, Hampea nutricia along the Gulf Coast was the most important of the eastern group, and the wild cottons, Gossypium aridum and Gossypium thurberi were most important in the western group. Other species of Hampea, Gossypium, and Cienfuegosia rosei have relatively restricted distributions and are of apparent minimal economic importance. Cienfuegosia drummondii is the only truly wild host in the southern United States, east of New Mexico. Factors determining potential distributions were variable and indicated that species were present in five vegetation types. Ecological and economic considerations of host plant distributions are discussed, as well as threats to host plant conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aspergillus sydowii is a moderate halophile fungus extensively studied for its biotechnological potential and halophile responses, which has also been reported as a coral reef pathogen. In a recent publication, the transcriptomic analysis of this fungus, when growing on wheat straw, showed that genes related to cell wall modification and cation transporters were upregulated under hypersaline conditions but not under 0.5 M NaCl, the optimal salinity for growth in this strain. This led us to study osmolyte accumulation as a mechanism to withstand moderate salinity. In this work, we show that A. sydowii accumulates trehalose, arabitol, mannitol, and glycerol with different temporal dynamics, which depend on whether the fungus is exposed to hypo- or hyperosmotic stress. The transcripts coding for enzymes responsible for polyalcohol synthesis were regulated in a stress-dependent manner. Interestingly, A. sydowii contains three homologs (Hog1, Hog2 and MpkC) of the Hog1 MAPK, the master regulator of hyperosmotic stress response in S. cerevisiae and other fungi. We show a differential regulation of these MAPKs under different salinity conditions, including sustained basal Hog1/Hog2 phosphorylation levels in the absence of NaCl or in the presence of 2.0 M NaCl, in contrast to what is observed in S. cerevisiae. These findings indicate that halophilic fungi such as A. sydowii utilize different osmoadaptation mechanisms to hypersaline conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Aromatic hydrocarbons are recalcitrant and toxic, strategies to remove them are needed. The aim of this work was to isolate fungi capable of using aromatic hydrocarbons as carbon sources. Two isolates from an oil polluted site in Mexico were identified through morphological and molecular markers as a novel Rhodotorula sp. and an Exophiala sp. Both strains were able to grow in a wide range of pH media, from 4 to 12, showing their optimal growth at alkaline pH’s and are both halotolerant. The Exophiala strain switched from hyphae to yeast morphotype in high salinity conditions. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of salt triggering dimorphism. The Rhodotorula strain, which is likely a new undescribed species, was capable of removing singled ringed aromatic compounds such as benzene, xylene, and toluene, but could not remove benzo[a] pyrene nor phenanthrene. Nevertheless, these hydrocarbons did not impair its growth. The Exophiala strain showed a different removal capacity. It could remove the polyaromatic hydrocarbons but performed poorly at removing toluene and xylene. Nevertheless, it still could grow well in the presence of the aromatic compounds. These strains could have a potential for aromatic compounds removal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), melanoma is the most severe type of skin cancer and is the leading cause of death from skin cancer worldwide. Certain features of melanoma include size, shape, color, or texture changes of a mole. In this work, a novel, robust and efficient method for the detection and classification of melanoma in simple and dermatological images is proposed. It is achieved by using HSV (Hue, Saturation, Value) color space along with mathematical morphology and a Gaussian filter to detect the region of interest and estimate four descriptors: symmetry, edge, color, and size. Although these descriptors have been used for several years, the way they are computed for this proposal is one of the things that enhances the results. Subsequently, a multilayer perceptron is employed to classify between malignant and benign melanoma. Three datasets of simple and dermatological images commonly used in the literature were employed to train and evaluate the performance of the proposed method. According to k-fold cross-validation, the method outperforms three state-of-art works, achieving an accuracy of 98.5% and 98.6%, a sensitivity of 96.68% and 98.05%, and a specificity of 98.15%, and 98.01%, in simple and dermatological images, respectively. The results have proven that its use as an assistive device for the detection of melanoma would improve reliability levels compared to conventional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loss of vegetation cover is a major factor that endangers biodiversity. Therefore, the use of geographic information systems and the analysis of satellite images are important for monitoring these changes in Natural Protected Areas (NPAs). In northeastern Mexico, the Natural Protected Area Altas Cumbres (NPAAC) represents a relevant floristic and faunistic patch on which the impact of loss of vegetation cover has not been assessed. This work aimed to analyze changes of land use and coverage (LULCC) over the last 42 years on the interior and around the exterior of the area, and also to propose the time of succession for the most important types of vegetation. For the analysis, LANDSAT satellite images from 1973, 1986, 2000, 2005 and 2015 were used, they were classified in seven categories through a segmentation and maximum likelihood analysis. A cross-tabulation analysis was performed to determine the succession gradient. Towards the interior of the area, a significant reduction of tropical vegetation and, to a lesser extent, temperate forests was found, as well as an increase in scrub cover from 1973 to 2015. In addition, urban and vegetation-free areas, as well as modified vegetation, increased to the exterior. Towards the interior of the NPA, the processes of perturbation and recovery were mostly not linear, while in the exterior adjacent area, the presence of secondary vegetation with distinct definite time of succession was evident. The analysis carried out is the first contribution that evaluates LULCC in this important NPA of northeastern Mexico. Results suggest the need to evaluate the effects of these modifications on species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, He et al. derived several remarkable properties of the so-called typical Bézier curves, a subset of constrained Bézier curves introduced by Mineur et al. In particular, He et al. proved that such curves display at most one curvature extremum, give an explicit formula of the parameter at the extremum, and show that subdividing a curve at this point furnishes two new typical curves. We recall that typical curves amount to segments of a special family of sinusoidal spirals, curves already studied by Maclaurin in the early 18th century and whose properties are well-known. These sinusoidal spirals display only one curvature extremum (i.e., vertex), whose parameter is simply that corresponding to the axis of symmetry. Subdividing a segment at an arbitrary point, not necessarily the vertex, always yields two segments of the same spiral, hence two typical curves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we analyzed the effects on Capsicum annuum plants of Trichoderma atroviride P. Karst strains altered in the expression of SWOLLENIN (SWO1), a protein with amorphogenic activity on plant cell wall components. Strains of T. atroviride that overexpressed the Taswo1 gene were constructed as well as deletion mutants. A novel, cheap and accurate method for assessing root colonization was developed. Colonization assays showed that the Taswo1 overexpressing strains invaded the host root better than the WT, resulting in a stronger plant growth-promoting effect. The expression of plant defense marker genes for both the systemic acquired resistance and induced systemic resistance pathways was enhanced in plants inoculated with Taswo1 overexpressing strains, while inoculation with deletion mutant strains resulted in a similar level of expression to that observed upon inoculation with the wild-type strain. Response to pathogen infection was also enhanced in the plants inoculated with the Taswo1 overexpressing strains, and surprisingly, an intermediate level of protection was achieved with the mutant strains. Tolerance to abiotic stresses was also higher in plants inoculated with the Taswo1 overexpressing strains but was similar in plants inoculated with the wild-type or the mutant strains. Compatible osmolyte production in drought conditions was studied. This study may contribute to improving Trichoderma biocontrol and biofertilization abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution has become an environmental and health problem worldwide. With the aim of finding novel strategies for metal bioremediation, endophytic fungi from the heavy metal hyperaccumulator plant Vachellia farnesiana were isolated and characterized. The plants were growing in mine tailings, rich in Zn, Pb, and Cu. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses indicated that the fungal strains belonged to Neocosmospora and Aspergillus genera. The Neocosmospora isolate belongs to the Fusarium solani species complex (FSSC) that groups phytopathogen species. However, in this case the plants from which it was isolated did not show any signs of disease. Both fungal strains were able to remove significant amounts of heavy metals from liquid cultures, either in a mixture of the three metals or each metal in a single culture. In response to lead exposure, the Neocosmospora sp. strain secreted specific novel phenolic compounds other than anthraquinones or naphtoquinones, which have been described in similar situations. The Aspergillus sp. dropped the pH in the medium. High-performance liquid chromatography determinations indicated that this strain secreted mainly glutamic acid in response to lead, a novel mechanism, which has not been reported elsewhere. Malic and succinic acids were also produced in response to lead exposure. Possibly, glutamic and succinic acids (synthesized in the Krebs cycle) can be used to cope with metal toxicity due to the plant providing photosynthates to the fungus. These fungi showed the potential to be used for bioremediation or restoration of metal-polluted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is presently the primary cause of chronic kidney disease and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It has been suggested that inflammation and oxidative stress, in addition to or in concert with the metabolic changes, plays an important role in the maintenance and progression of the disease. Therefore, attenuating or blocking these mechanisms may be a therapeutic target to delay the progression of the disease. Diallyl thiosulfinate (allicin), a compound derived from garlic, inhibits free radical formation, increases glutathione synthesis and decreases the levels of proinflammatory molecules in vitro. This research aimed to assess the effect of allicin on oxidative stress and inflammation-induced diabetes. Animals were divided into control and diabetes (streptozotocin 50 mg/kg i.p.), and maintained for 30 days. After 30 days, the group of diabetic animals was subdivided into diabetes and allicin-treated diabetes (16 mg/kg/day oral gavage). The three experimental groups were maintained for another month. We analyzed the status of renal function, oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines. The untreated diabetic group showed hyperglycemia and increased diuresis, creatinine clearance, proteinuria, glycosuria and urinary excretion of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosaminidase (NAG), as well as increased oxidative stress and the expression of interleukin 1β (IL-1β), IL-6, nuclear factor kappa beta (NFκβ) and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in plasma and kidney. In contrast, the inhibitor of NFκβ (Iκβ) is decreased in the cortex. It has been demonstrated that the allicin treatment decreases hyperglycemia, polyuria, and NAG excretion. The oxidative stress and proinflammatory cytokines were also reduced by the allicin treatment. In conclusion, allicin delays the progression of diabetic nephropathy through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]