Search

Limited information is available in Mexico regarding the use of Lupinus angustifolius L. as a green manure. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of six Lupinus angustifolius varieties as green manure in terms of above-ground biomass production, expressed as dry matter (DM), and total nitrogen (N) accumulation at successive harvest dates. Additionally, the study aimed to estimate N2 fixation 110 days after sowing (DAS). The varieties Haags Blaue, Boregine, Borlu, Probor, Sonate, and Boruta were sown during the winter season of 2018-2019 using a randomized block factorial design. The N difference method was employed to estimate N2 fixation, with wheat serving as the reference crop. Data on above-ground biomass production, N concentration, and total N accumulation were recorded at different harvest times: 80, 95, and 110 DAS. The biomass yield of all varieties significantly increased from the first to the last harvest, with the highest yield observed at the final harvest (ranging from 7,632 to 10,200 kg ha-1). The highest total N accumulation from biomass was recorded at the last harvest. On average, the Borlu, Boregine, Haags Blaue, and Boruta varieties accumulated 195.4 kg ha-1 of total N (ranging from 195.6 to 221.2 kg ha-1). The proportion of N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) through N2 fixation averaged 80.09% (ranging from 72% to 93%), resulting in an average N fixation of 160 kg ha-1 (ranging from 106 to 185 kg ha-1) in above-ground biomass. All six varieties demonstrated potential as green manure, considering their above-ground biomass production, total N accumulation, and ability to fix N2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista CS is the property of Rafael Silva Vega and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Invasive fungal infections represent a global health threat. They are associated with high mortality and morbidity rates, partly due to the ineffectiveness of the available antifungal agents. The rampant increase in infections recalcitrant to the current antifungals has worsened this scenario and made the discovery of new and more effective antifungals a pressing health issue. In this study, 65 extracts from marine organisms of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico, were screened for antifungal activity against Candida albicans and Candida glabrata, two of the most prevalent fungal species that cause nosocomial invasive fungal infections worldwide. A total of 51 sponges, 13 ascidians and 1 gorgonian were collected from the coral reef and mangrove forest in the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and extracted with organic solvents. Nine crude extracts showed potent antifungal activity, of which four extracts from the sponge species Aiolochroia crassa, Amphimedon compressa, Monanchora arbuscula and Agelas citrina had promising activity against Candida spp. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the M. arbuscula extract revealed the remarkable fungicidal activity of some fractions. Analysis of the chemical composition of one of the most active fractions by UHPLC-HRMS and NMR indicated the presence of mirabilin B and penaresidin B, and their contribution to the observed antifungal activity is discussed. Overall, this work highlights marine organisms of the Yucatan Peninsula as important reservoirs of natural products with promising fungicidal activity, which may greatly advance the treatment of invasive fungal infections, especially those afflicting immunosuppressed patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mexican population databases for autosomal STRs are scarce, and no previous studies have been performed with the Qiagen Investigator 24plex GO! To analyse the frequency of 21 autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) loci and forensic parameters in individuals from Veracruz state, Mexico. A total of 234 unrelated individuals were analysed with the Investigator 24plex GO! Kit, which includes the following autosomal STRs: TH01, D3S1358, vWA, D21S11, TPOX, D1S1656, D12S391, SE33, D10S1248, D22S1045, D19S433, D8S133879, D2S1338, D2S441, D18S51, FGA, D16S539, CSF1PO, D13S317, D5S818, and D7S820. Allele frequencies, forensic parameters, and relationships with neighbouring Mexican populations were estimated. The STRs analysed were in Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE). The combined matching probability and combined PE were 1.5266 E-24 and 0.999999988711, respectively. The D18S51 and SE33 loci presented the highest Ho (0.8974 and 0.8932) and PE (0.7902 and 0.7815), respectively. The highest PIC (0.9337) and PD (0.9894) values corresponded to SE33. Conversely, D22S1045 had the lowest PIC and PE (0.5533 and 0.3546, respectively). A population cluster among southern Mexican populations, which included non-differentiation between Guerrero and Veracruz states was detected. The forensic efficacy of the 21 STRs analysed by the Investigator 24plex GO! Kit was evaluated in the Veracruz state. Moreover, new population clusters that have not yet been described and are related to geographic regions were identified, and these are in agreement with previously reported ancestral differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mountains of western Mexico contain one of the highest numbers of conifers and hardwood species for the country. The extraction of those species represents about 82% of the national timber production. Governmental practices had been the burden to conservation and sustainable forestry practices in the last two decades by allowing illegal logging and circumventing environmental laws. In the last 5 years, pervasive illegal logging is led by organized crime gangs. These gangs work in complete impunity, using intimidation, kidnapping, and bribery to silence the landowners, the entire community, and government officials. As a consequence, community forest enterprises declined and the illegal logging increased. For example, 4% of the national production was illegally extracted in the Talpa de Allende municipality during 2017–2019, and an estimated of 70% of the timber in Mexico lack of extraction permits. Institutional practices, reduced budgets, corruption networks, and impunity are producing environmental degradation in western Mexico, and likely elsewhere in the country as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ortiz@colpos.mxcastor@colpos.mxCurrently, the information on the maize agroecosystem in the Frailesca region of Chiapas, Mexico, and its forms of management, is insufficient to address it with sustainable development strategies. In the present investigation it was characterized; through a typification of corn producers and their relationship with energy efficiency and its management methods. It is a descriptive and exploratory research from a socio-agronomic approach in 300 cases of farmers, with the support of descriptive statistical techniques, as well as exploratory multivariate of main components and clusters. Six producer groups or typologies were identified based on 11 main components that explain 73% of the total variability. All producer groups are energy efficient, which is associated with the productive and economic efficiency of the agroecosystem. Regarding grain yield, in all producer groups, it ranges between 2.8 and 4 tha-1. In addition, three large groups of management systems were identified (conventional, agroecological and mixed) carried out by maize producers in the Frailesca region, Chiapas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environmental knowledge of inhabitants residing in a highly biodiverse mountainous region of western Mexico with an important economic forestry sector was investigated. Indices of environmental knowledge, by average and through a factor analysis, were developed and characterized using survey data collected in 2018 and 2021. These indices showed high levels of correlation, and followed similar patterns of distributions. Ordinary least squares and quantile regressions were used to examine social, economic, demographic, and perceptions as determinant factors of the generated indices. Age and education were repeatedly found as important factors influencing environmental knowledge, while income and gender were consistently not significant factors. Furthermore, environmental knowledge was related to quality of life. The index developed by factor analysis generated more significantly stable parameter results across percentiles of environmental knowledge. The indices were recommended for monitoring environmental knowledge in long term studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this research, the sustainability of traditional and alternative maize producing agroecosystems was assessed in three ejidos in the Selva Region of Chiapas, using an agroecological approach (MESMIS). The study was conducted over two farming cycles: milpa and tornamil. In the first, the slash, fell and burn (S-F-B) system was assessed, with no burning and in rotation with velvet bean (Mucuna deeringiana Bort.). In the second cycle, three systems with no burning and differing periods of velvet bean use were analysed, and plant density was modified to analyse its effect on production. Economic and social indicator values were found with participative techniques. During milpa, fire was found to have a positive effect on weed and pest (Diatraea liniolata Walker) control. The alternative systems with use of green manure showed better agronomic results. Grain yield was found to be higher, and profitability was greater in the systems with modification of plant density. In the final integrated analysis, the alternative systems obtained better results, although positive results were observed in some variables due to the S F-B system's adaptation to the environment. So, its use in the region constitutes an ethnocultural reality which is far from disappearing in the near future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study which evaluated a multiplex real-time reverse transcript polymerase chain reaction assay for detection of Vesicular stomatitis New Jersey virus and Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus strains that occur in Mexico and North and Central America. It explores the sequence of primers and probes used in real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. It reveals the results of diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of Vesicular stomatitis virus real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests on samples using two alternative cutoff threshold cycle values.

Copyright of Revista Medica del IMSS is the property of Direccion de Prestaciones Medicas - IMSS and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Geographic variation in acoustic characteristics of anuran advertisement calls could be an important indicator of species divergence due to its importance for species recognition. In this study, we evaluated the hypotheses of morphological by-product, local adaptation, and genetic drift to explain the geographic variation of the calls of the frog Eleutherodactylus nitidus. We compared six acoustic variables using ANOVA and linear discriminant analyses, as well as inter- and intra-population and intra-individual variation estimates to understand E. nitidus call variation. Recorded calls were corrected for temperature and body size to rule out the influence of these factors on call variation. The advertisement call of E. nitidus is a short whistle with an oscillating amplitude modulation that forms pulses. In total, we analysed 1676 advertisement calls from 66 individuals. We find that call duration, call amplitude, dominant frequency, pulses per call and highest pulse differ between populations, and such differences were independent of body size and temperature variation, ruling out the morphological by-product and local adaptation hypotheses. Additionally, the linear discriminant analysis indicates that geographic call variation depends principally on call amplitude. We suggest that the geographic distance between populations of E. nitidus yields genetic differences that account for differences in advertisement calls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backyards are family settings adjacent to the house, characterized mainly by being small-scale and diversified productive spaces. The research typologically characterized the backyards and their contribution to family food security in La Concordia municipality, Chiapas, Mexico. The research was descriptive and mixed, quantitative, and qualitative, and semi-structured interviews were applied to 130 families. For the typification, 21 variables were used, and the statistical techniques of Factorial Analysis and Clusters were applied. The cases studied were classified, according to the relevance of their production and contribution to food security, into two general groups: a) a group of backyards that is more productive and contributes to food security, which in turn includes three subtypes of backyards that differ from each other by their profile towards vegetable or poultry production for subsistence, and/or pigs as a form of savings; b) a group of less productive backyards in which other management strategies for food security are assumed and differ from each other by the level of expulsion of labor force and types of families, nuclear or extended. Poultry and plant species for multiple uses was the most frequently characteristic, regardless of the type of backyard. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the farmers' criteria for chayote (Sechium edule Jacq. Sw.) crop management in rural areas of the municipalities of Villa Corzo and Villaflores, Chiapas, Mexico. The study was based on a socio-anthropological analysis, following ethnoagronomy and ethnobotany approaches, in order to gather and systematize the traditional knowledge. Semi-structured interviews to 30 farmers were applied from each municipality in order to collect criteria about key activities regarding crop management such as pruning, irrigation, plant tutoring and fertilization. The results show that 40 % of all the farmers from both municipalities prune their plants, those from Villa Corzo use machetes while those from Villaflores use pruning scissors. The 91 % of the farmers use tutors made of local resources like stems and branches trees, demonstrating they have incorporated this practice into their local knowledge. The tendency of using fertilizers, either chemical or organic ones is incipient for both locations, slightly above in Villaflores for the use of chemical fertilizers where almost a third of the farmers use it. In both municipalities the rate of farmers using organic fertilizers is low and represents only 11,5 and 18 % respectively for Villa Corzo and Villaflores. This confirms the validity of socio-agronomic studies, in particular for understanding traditional knowledge and the use of local resources in chayote crop managing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the prevalence pattern of anemia among Indigenous children in Latin America., Methods: PRISMA guidelines were followed. Records were identified from the databases PubMed, Google Scholar, and Lilacs by two independent researchers between May and June 2021. Studies were included if the following criteria were met: a) studied Indigenous people b) was about children (from 0 to 12 years old); c) reported a prevalence estimate of anemia; d) had been conducted in any of the countries of Latin America; e) was published either in English, Portuguese, or Spanish; f) is a peer-reviewed article; and g) was published at any date., Results: Out of 2,401 unique records retrieved, 42 articles met the inclusion criteria. A total of 39 different Indigenous communities were analyzed in the articles, and in 21 of them (54.0%) child anemia was a severe public health problem (prevalence ≥ 40%). Those communities were the Aymara (Bolivia); Aruak, Guaraní, Kamaiurá, Karapotó, Karibe, Kaxinanuá, Ma-cro-Jê, Suruí, Terena, Xavante (Brazil); Cabécar (Costa Rica), Achuar, Aguaruna, Awajún, Urarina, Yomybato (Peru); Piaroa and Yucpa (Venezuela); and Quechua (Peru and Bolivia). Children below two years had the highest prevalence of anemia (between 16.2% and 86.1%). Among Indigenous people, risk factors for anemia include nutrition, poor living conditions, access to health services, racism, and discrimination. Bolivia and Guatemala are scarcely studied, despite having the highest proportion of Indigenous communities in Latin America., Conclusions: Anemia constitutes a poorly documented public health problem among Indigenous children in 21 Indigenous communities in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, and Peru. In all Indigenous communities included in this study child anemia was an issue, especially in younger children.

This study assesses the variability of physicochemical and biochemical parameters, identifies principal pollutant sources, and characterizes water quality in Yuriria reservoir using water quality indexes in combination with multivariate statistical techniques. In situ parameters were measured in 55 reservoir sites including surface and deep points and in 7 associated channels. Moreover, major compounds and biochemical data were determined. Yuriria reservoir had alkaline, bicarbonate-mixed waters, with total dissolved solids (TDS) of 393.83 ± 3.43 mg L -1 . Water quality index (WQI) indicated a good class for agricultural irrigation but very poor and poor classes for preservation of aquatic life. The nutrient inputs and the internal nitrogen recycling triggered a hypereutrophic status in the reservoir. The decomposition of residual biomass from aquatic macrophytes contributed to reduce dissolved oxygen (DO) in the hypolimnetic waters (mean DO = 3.86 mg L -1 ). Statistical analysis revealed that the study area is highly exposed to anthropogenic stress and in a lesser extent to natural processes. Urban and agriculture runoff enhanced the salinization and the generation of solid particles which deteriorated water quality. Chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and NO 3 - -N presented a common anthropogenic origin by external (point and diffuse) and internal pollution sources, while a diffuse source (agricultural activities) was reveled for phosphorus. This study is important to be used in systematic monitoring and sustainable co-management programs and for formulating the necessary strategies to remediate the Yuriria reservoir water quality and extrapolate to other reservoirs worldwide., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Three new diterpene alkaloids, (+)-8-epiagelasine T ( 1 ), (+)-10-epiagelasine B ( 2 ), and (+)-12-hydroxyagelasidine C ( 3 ), along with three known compounds, (+)- ent -agelasine F ( 4 ), (+)-agelasine B ( 5 ), and (+)-agelasidine C ( 6 ), were isolated from the sponge Agelas citrina , collected on the coasts of the Yucatán Peninsula (Mexico). Their chemical structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopy, HRESIMS techniques, and a comparison with literature data. Although the synthesis of (+)- ent -agelasine F ( 4 ) has been previously reported, this is the first time that it was isolated as a natural product. The evaluation of the antimicrobial activity against the Gram-positive pathogens Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus pneumoniae , Enterococcus faecalis showed that all of them were active, with (+)-10-epiagelasine B ( 2 ) being the most active compound with an MIC in the range of 1-8 µg/mL. On the other hand, the Gram-negative pathogenes Acinetobacter baumannii , Pseudomonas aeruginosa , and Klebsiella pneumoniae were also evaluated, and only (+)-agelasine B ( 5 ) showed a moderate antibacterial activity with a MIC value of 16 μg/mL.

A total of 51 sponges (Porifera) and 13 ascidians (Chordata) were collected on the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexico) and extracted with organic solvents. The resulting extracts were screened for antibacterial activity against four multidrug-resistant (MDR) bacterial pathogens: the Gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus . The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the organic extracts of each marine organism were determined using a broth microdilution assay. Extracts of eight of the species, in particular the Agelas citrina and Haliclona (Rhizoniera) curacaoensis , displayed activity against some of the pathogens tested. Some of the extracts showed similar MIC values to known antibiotics such as penicillins and aminoglycosides. This study is the first to carry out antimicrobial screening of extracts of marine sponges and ascidians collected from the Yucatan Peninsula. Bioassay-guided fractionation of the active extracts from the sponges Amphimedon compressa and A. citrina displayed, as a preliminary result, that an inseparable mixture of halitoxins and amphitoxins and (-)-agelasine B, respectively, are the major compounds responsible for their corresponding antibacterial activities. This is the first report of the antimicrobial activity of halitoxins and amphitoxins against major multidrug-resistant human pathogens. The promising antibacterial activities detected in this study indicate the coast of Yucatan Peninsula as a potential source of a great variety of marine organisms worthy of further research.

Mexico is one of the three areas of the world with the greatest terrestrial and cultural biological diversity. The diversity of Mexican medicinal flora has been studied for a long time and several bioactive compounds have been isolated. The investigation of marine resources, and particularly the potential of Mexican marine resources, has not been intensively investigated, even though the Yucatan Peninsula occupies 17.4% of the total of the Mexican coast, with great biological diversity in its coasts and the ocean. There are very few studies on the chemistry of natural products from marine organisms that were collected along the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula and most of them are limited to the evaluation of the biological activity of their organic extracts. The investigations carried out on marine species from the Yucatan Peninsula resulted in the identification of a wide structural variety of natural products that include polyketides, terpenoids, nitrogen compounds, and biopolymers with cytotoxic, antibacterial, antifouling, and neurotoxic activities. This review describes the literature of bioprospecting and the exploration of the natural product diversity of marine organisms from the coasts of the Yucatan Peninsula up to mid-2019.

Two new spongian furanoditerpenes, 3β-hydroxyspongia-13(16),14-dien-2-one ( 1 ) and 19-dehydroxy-spongian diterpene 17 ( 2 ), along with five known terpenes, the spongian furanoditerpenes 9-nor-3-hydroxyspongia-3,13(16),14-trien-2-one ( 3 ), 3β,19 dihydroxyspongia-13(16),14-dien-2-one (epispongiadiol) ( 4 ) and spongian diterpene 17 ( 5 ), the furanoditerpene ambliol C ( 6 ), and the sesterterpene scalarin ( 7 ), were isolated from the methanolic extract of the sponge Spongia tubulifera , collected in the Mexican Caribbean. The planar structures of the new compounds were elucidated by 1D/2D NMR and IR spectroscopic analysis, high resolution electrospray mass spectrometry (HRESIMS), and comparison of their spectral data with those reported in the literature. Absolute configurations were determined by comparison of the experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectrum with those calculated by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). Compounds 1 , 4 , and 6 displayed weak cytotoxic activity against different human tumour cell lines.

A new species of snake of the genus Salvadora from Oaxaca, Mexico, is described. This taxon was confused with S. intermedia in previous taxonomic descriptions. It is characterized by lacking a pale vertebral stripe and by having incomplete dorsolateral stripes that do not reach the posterior part of the body, which is typical of congeners; by having both dorsolateral stripes separated each other by five to six scale rows on anterior part of body; and other scalation characters as well as the number maxillary teeth. The importance of this snake and its conservation is discussed.

There are few genera of butterflies that feed on cycads. Among them the genus Eumaeus (Lycaenidae) presents aposematic coloration in all its life stages. In this work we report for the first time the herbivory of young leaflets of Ceratozamia mexicana and Zamia fischeri (Zamiaceae) by caterpillars of E. childrenae in their natural habitat in the Huasteca region, Mexico.