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In September 2022, symptoms of leaf anthracnose were observed on desert rose (Adenium obesum) plants distributed in parks and gardens in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico. Two morphotypes of Colletotrichum isolates were obtained from symptomatic tissues. Based on morphological characterization in combination with multilocus phylogenetic analyses including data from internal transcribed spacer, actin, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, and β‐tubulin, and pathogenicity tests, it was confirmed that C. siamense and C. truncatum are the causal agents of the disease. This is the first report of C. siamense and C. truncatum causing leaf anthracnose in desert rose worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Simple Summary: In Mexico, smallholder farmers produce locally adapted maize varieties, generally called landraces, for food. They participate in the conservation of landraces by selecting and storing their seeds from one production cycle to another, but are facing challenges such as storage losses caused by insects (mainly Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus) and climate change. In the current study, the effectiveness of the conventional storage practices of farmers in the highlands of Mexico (polypropylene woven bags) in minimizing storage losses and maintaining seed germination was compared with hermetic storage technologies. After six and three months of storage, the percentage of insect damage and weight loss was highest in samples stored in polypropylene woven bags, reaching 61.4% and 23.4% after six months of storage. On the contrary, with hermetic technologies, storage losses were minimal, with maximums of 4.1% and 2.2% for insect damage and weight loss, respectively. Overall, the germination rate of samples stored in these airtight containers was greater than 90%. The results of this study demonstrate the potential of hermetic technologies in preserving the biodiversity of maize seed landraces and strengthening smallholders' food security. Smallholder farmers who grow maize landraces face important challenges to preserve their seed biodiversity from one season to another. This study was carried out in the central highlands of Mexico to compare the effectiveness of two seed storage practices—specifically, polypropylene woven bags (farmers' conventional practice) vs. hermetic containers—for minimizing seed losses and maintaining germination. Four Mexican landraces were stored for three and six months. Data on moisture content and kernel damage were collected at the beginning and the end of the storage period. Pest-free samples collected were also analyzed for seed germination. Moisture content was below 13% overall and was not significantly affected by storage technology or storage time. Samples from the polypropylene woven bags suffered significant damage from Sitophilus zeamais and Prostephanus truncatus, with the percentages of insect damage and weight loss reaching 61.4% and 23.4%, respectively. Losses were minimal in seed stored in hermetic containers, with a maximum insect damage of 4.1% and weight loss of 2.2%. Overall, the germination rate of samples stored in these airtight containers was greater than 90%. This study provides additional evidence on the effectiveness of hermetic containers at maintaining Mexican landraces' seed quantity and quality during storage in smallholder conditions in central Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) breeding programs in Northwestern Mexico have focused in developing extra-largeseeded Kabuli cultivars, but additional efforts are required to generate genotypes with better grain quality traits. Information about molecular genetic diversity of Mexican chickpea germplasm and other genotypes from international collections may be valuable sources to improve nutritional properties. The aim of this study was to determine the genetic diversity based on microsatellite markers and the variation in grain quality traits of 14 Kabuli genotypes from Mexico and nine Desi genotypes from other countries. The hypothesis was that the genetic variation detected allows the differentiation of the genotypes according to their origin. DNA was extracted and analyzed with 31 markers distributed across the chickpea genome. A total of 164 alleles were obtained (average of 5.3 alleles per locus) and a total gene diversity of 0.72, which demonstrated a broad genetic base of the chickpeas analyzed. The UPGMA-cluster analysis, modelbased population structure and principal component analysis revealed two major groups, one formed by Desi chickpeas and the other by Kabuli genotypes. The chickpeas also showed a wide variability in seed coat color, seed weight, seed coat proportion, and starch, protein and phenolics content, which was significantly associated with 12 microsatellite markers. These genetic materials represent a broad source of variation for improving chickpea grain quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) represents a rare autoimmune disease (AD) characterized by systemic vasculitis that primarily affects large arteries, especially the aorta and the aortic arch and its main branches. Genetic components in TA are largely unknown. PTPN22 is a susceptibility loci for different ADs; however, the role of different PTPN22 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the susceptibility to TA is not clear. Methods: We evaluated the PTPN22 R620W (C1858T), R263Q (G788A), and − 123G/C SNPs in a group of patients with TA and in healthy individuals from Mexico. Our study included 111 patients with TA and 314 healthy individuals. Genotyping was performed with the 5′ exonuclease (TaqMan®) assay.Results: Our data showed that the PTPN22 R620W polymorphism is a risk factor for TA (CC vs. CT: OR 4.3, p = 0.002, and C vs. T: OR 4.1, p = 0.003); however, the PTPN22 R263Q and − 1123G/C polymorphisms are not associated with this AD. In addition, the PTPN22 CGT haplotype, which carries the minor allele of the PTPN22 C1858T variant, was also associated with TA susceptibility.Conclusion: This is the first report documenting an association between PTPN22 R620W and TA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to evaluate the nutritional value of Parkinsonia texana and Acacia amentacea, two leguminosae species of the Tamaulipan scrubland, Northeastern Mexico, two experiments were carried out: the first tested the effects of season and browse species on chemical composition as nutritional variable to small ruminants; the second tested the effect of the addition of polyethylene glycol (PEG) on fermentation parameters. Foliage samples were collected from three sites. Data of chemical composition were analysed using analysis of variance for a bi-factorial arrangement, whereas the effect of PEG was analysed by a strip plot design. Results of chemical composition were affected by interacting factors season*species as individually they were significantly different (P<0.001). Addition of PEG affected (P<0.001) fermentation parameters. Significantly higher values of neutral detergent fibre (42%), condensed tannins (19%), purines (9 μmol), partitioning factor (PF) (6.1) and gross energy losses (GEL=6.7%) were found in A. amentacea, while P. texana gave higher crude protein (18%), in vitro true organic matter digestibility (82%), metabolisable energy (ME) [2.1 Mcal/kg dry matter (DM)], A (183 mL), c (0.07/h) and L (0.86 h). Addition of PEG increased ME, and affected (P<0.001) fermentation parameters A and c, while purines and PF decreased. Results indicate that chemical composition and fermentation parameters vary according to seasons and species. PEG addition increases the fermentation parameters, which indicates that PEG counteracts the detrimental effects of secondary components of samples. Data suggest that using both species combined could supply necessary nutritional requirements to small ruminants in the Tamaulipan scrubland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The cardiovascular manifestations of Marfan syndrome (MFS) are the main causes of morbidity and mortality. This study describes the clinical and echocardiographic findings in a Mestizo-Mexican population affected by the disease. Methods: A total of 166 patients previously diagnosed with MFS were recruited for the study, 114 of them underwent complete clinical history, with emphasis on Ghent nosology criteria, and transthoracic echocardiography, with 68 patients also undergoing transesophageal study. Results: Major cardiovascular criteria from the Ghent nosology predominated in adults (P < 0.0001), minor criteria in children (P = 0.007). Among pediatric patients, 83% had a New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class of I; however, 64% of the adult patients had an NYHA class ≥II, (P < 0.0001). Corrected aortic echocardiographic measurements of both groups demonstrated statistically significant differences. Children had a greater prevalence of mitral valve prolapse, while adults more frequently presented with aortic complications. Seven patients died during follow-up from aortic complications, one child and six adults. Conclusions: Based on the data, we can conclude that MFS in the Mestizo-Mexican population has a distinctly different clinical pattern in children and adults, and a graver prognosis in adults. Adult patients with MFS are significantly more likely, than children, to have aortic dilation, aortic aneurysm, aortic regurgitation, aneurysm rupture, aortic dissection, and fatal outcome. Children with MFS are more likely, than adults, to present with asymptomatic mitral and tricuspid prolapse and mitral valve regurgitation. (Echocardiography 2010;27:923-930) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Samples of grasses, Panicum maximum (Guinea), Digitaria decumbens (Pangola), Cynodon dactylon (Bermuda), and Panicum maximum var Tanzania (Tanzania) from Northeastern Mexico (Veracruz State) were harvested in triplicate at the beginning of the flowering stage and analyzed through both conventional laboratory and in vitro gas production procedures. Data were analyzed through ANOVA for a completely randomized design. Pangola grass recorded the highest (P<0.05) OM (91 %) and CP (7.6%) content and the lowest NDF values (65 % DM). Moreover, Pangola also recorded the highest (P<0.05) cumulative in vitro gas production (76 ml 500 mg-1 DM), gas produced from fraction b (149 ml), and potential gas production (a + b = 143 ml). The greater concentrations (mM L-1) for acetic (16.0), propionic (4.20), butyric (2.18) acids and total VFA (23.2), together with a lower A:P ratio (3.8) may indicate a greater energy availability in Pangola. Higher (P<0.05) apparent ruminal DM degradability (38 %), microbial biomass production (1.0 mg RNA100 mg of DM apparently degraded) and ME content (1.6 Mcal ME kg-1) were also observed in Pangola. Conventional chemical analyses (Weende + Van Soest) added to the in vitro gas production technique allowed obtaining specific information on digestive processes in rumen and a better knowledge of nutritional properties such as microbial protein production and metabolizable energy content, of the forages being studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mexican Gray Wolf (Canis lupus baileyi) is one of the most distinctive groups of wild canids. It has been erradicated from most of its original range and there is no solid evidence of wild populations. All known individuals of this species are kept in zoos or special enclosures. Recently a great deal of efforts have been done in oder to reintroduce this subespecies to its natural habitat. Studies on this species are focused on the behavior and social structure, but there are few on the reproductive physiology. In this paper we analyze progesterone (P4), testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) concentrations in feces of a pair of Mexican grey wolves during the Winter and Spring. Steroids were quantified by enzime immunoassay and evaluated using a micro titer plate. We tested the use of hormone levels to determine gender of the animals and found T to be useful. In the male, P4 levels had a cyclic pattern with peaks in January and February that coincided with cyclic variation in T. E2 did not show significant changes. In the female, P4 showed a cyclic pattern with fluctuations from January to April, T followed the same pattern, and E2 peaked in January, February, and April. The peak of February ended with a rise in P4. These results suggest that concentrations of sexual steroid hormones are in general high during the reproductive period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food craving is an intense-compulsive response to eating highly appetizing foods. The Food Cravings Questionnaire-State (FCQ-S) is the most used instrument for its diagnosis. It is a multidimensional instrument, sensitive and adaptable to contextual and cultural changes., Objective: To standardize the FCQ-S in the adult population of Mexico City., Method: Non-experimental, cross-sectional, at convenience design, with 1059 adults of both sexes, aged 18-84 years. It is highlighted that 71.9% of the participants were women., Results: A reliability coefficient of 0.95 was obtained, the correlations between the items were from r = 0.598 to r = 0.793. With the exploratory factorial analysis, an MKO of sampling adequacy of 0.943 was obtained, and with the Bartlett sphericity test a p = 0.000. The factors explain 78.61% of the total variation of the data. The RMSEA was 0.068, which indicates an acceptable fit. The CFI was 0.974, considered good, and NNFI was 0.969, good fit. The correlations ranged from p < 0.05 to p < 0.01, showing a connection between the different dimensions., Conclusions: The FCQ-S is valid and adaptable in the Mexican population., (Copyright: © 2023 Permanyer.)

Introduction: Food craving is a motivational and physiological response for eating specific foods, mainly with high caloric content. To assess food craving, self-reports, inventories and questionnaires are used. The Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait is multi-dimensionally structured and has been validated in several countries, since it is sensitive and adaptable to contextual-cultural changes., Objectives: To validate and standardize the Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait in adults of Mexico City., Method: Non-experimental, cross-sectional, randomized study of 1059 subjects of both genders, between 18 and 84 years of age; 71.86 % of the female gender. Psychometric properties were examined with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses., Results: The domains of the questionnaire were reduced and the items were reorganized differently from the original version. The confirmatory factor analysis showed an adequate fit and acceptable standardization of factors. High internal consistency was found for the global questionnaire (a = 0.973 and rho = 0.975) for each one of the domains., Conclusion: This study determines the viability of the Food Cravings Questionnaire for the population of Mexico City., (Copyright: © 2019 Permanyer.)

Aim : To investigate the relation between polymorphisms in the interleukin 10 ( IL )- 10 , tumor necrosis factor ( TNF) -α, transforming growth factor ( TGF)- β and interferon ( IFN)-γ genes and Takayasu's arteritis in the Mexican population. Methods : A case-control study was performed to investigate the associations of IL-10 , TNF-α , TGF-β and IFN-γ polymorphisms in a sample of 52 Takayasu's arteritis patients, diagnosed according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology and EULAR PRINTO criteria when the patients were under 18 years of age; 60 clinically healthy unrelated Mexican individuals by the 5' exonuclease TaqMan polymerase chain reaction. Polymorphic haplotypes were constructed after linkage disequilibrium analysis. Results: Significant differences were not found in the distribution for genotype and allele frequencies of the polymorphisms studied between healthy controls and Takayasu´s arteritis patients. Likewise, significant associations were not detected in the haplotype analysis with the different genes studied. Conclusions : These findings suggest that the polymorphisms in IL-10 , TNF-α , TGF-β and IFN-γ might not contribute to the susceptibility of Takayasu´s arteritis in the Mexican population.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a multifactorial disorder that results from an excessive inflammatory response. Secretory phospholipase A2-V (sPLA2-V) encoded by PLA2G5 gene promotes diverse proinflammatory processes. The aim of the present study was to analyze if PLA2G5 gene polymorphisms are associated with premature CAD. Three PLA2G5 polymorphisms (rs11573187, rs2148911, and rs11573191) were analyzed in 707 patients with premature CAD and 749 healthy controls. Haplotypes were constructed after linkage disequilibrium analysis. Under dominant, recessive, and additive models, the rs11573191 polymorphism was associated with increased risk of premature CAD (OR = 1.51, P(dom) = 3.5 × 10(-3); OR = 2.95, P(rec) = 0.023; OR = 1.51, P(add) = 1.2 × 10(-3)). According to the informatics software, this polymorphism had a functional effect modifying the affinity of the sequence by the MZF1 transcription factor. PLA2G5 polymorphisms were in linkage disequilibrium and the CGA haplotype was associated with increased risk of premature CAD (OR = 1.49, P = 0.0023) and with hypertension in these patients (OR = 1.75, P = 0.0072). Our results demonstrate the association of the PLA2G5 rs11573191 polymorphism with premature CAD. In our study, it was possible to distinguish one haplotype associated with increased risk of premature CAD and hypertension.

Background: Takayasu's arteritis (TA) is a chronic inflammation that affects the large vessels; however, its etiology is still unknown. Human serum paraoxonase hydrolyzes oxidized lipids into low-density lipoproteins and could therefore be associated with the prevalence of inflammation processes. Therefore, the purpose of study was to elucidate the influence of PON1 gene polymorphisms and plasma PON1 activities in Takayasu's arteritis disease., Methods: Fifty-four patients with TA and 173 clinically healthy Mexicans were studied. The PON1 polymorphism was determined by the TaqMan PCR method. PON1 activity was assessed spectrophotometrically by paraoxon (p-nitrophenylphosphate) hydrolysis., Results: In TA patients, the frequency of PON1(192R) allele (51% vs. 39%, P=0.043, OR=1.60, 95% CI=1.03-2.47), PON1(55M) allele (21% vs. 6.6%, P=0.0001, OR=3.80, 95% CI=2.03-7.10), and PON1(-108T) (60.1% vs. 46%, P=0.011, OR 1.79 (95% CI=1.15-2.79) were significantly higher than in healthy controls. PON1 activity was significantly lower for PON in TA vs. controls (136.14 vs. 322.79 μmol min(-1) ml(-1), P=0.001, showing a decreasing activity in all genotypes in TA patients with respect to the control subjects., Conclusions: These results show significantly lower PON1 activity associated with HDL-C in TA patients, this activity could be depending on PON1 genotypes; showing that QR/LM/CT has the lowest hydrolytic activity toward paraoxon meanwhile, PON1(192,55,-108) genetic variations are related with reduced PON1 activities, these could be factors contributing to the development of TA disease., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A possible relationship between Takayasu arteritis (TA) and Tuberculosis (Tb) has been suggested. Both diseases present similar chronic inflammatory lesions and occasionally granulomas on the arterial walls. The genetic relationship between these two diseases has not been explored before, however, both diseases have been associated with human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the distribution of HLA-B alleles in TA (n = 40) and Tb (n = 34) patients and healthy controls (72 exposed and 99 nonexposed). HLA-B alleles were determined by reverse dot blot. The statistical methods used included the Chi(2), and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals. In spite of the loose clinical relationship between TA and Tb, we did not detected any genetic relationship between them when the HLA-B alleles were analyzed in these groups of patients. On the contrary, we detected distinct specific HLA-B alleles for each disease. TA was characterized by HLA-B39, -B44, and -B52, pulmonary Tb by HL-B35 and extrapulmonary Tb by HLA-B39 and -B40. This preliminary study suggests a difference in the distribution of HLA-B alleles in patients with TA and Tb.