Recent publications
Despite the incontrovertible importance of wetland ecosystems, our understanding of the causes underlying the spatial heterogeneity of their attributes is still insufficient. Here, we assess the spatial variation of the floristics (species composition and their relative abundances) and quantitative structure (vegetation cover) of the San Pedro Mártir River riparian herbaceous wetlands (Tabasco, Mexico), and explore potential factors responsible for within-and among community variation. Vegetation was sampled at 10 sites along a 40-km stretch of the river. Per site cover of the recorded morphospecies was assessed with digital photography, and community diversity was analyzed using the Hill numbers framework. Total richness was 76 morphospecies (67 identified to some taxonomic category); the drastic decrease in true diversity with increasing q values indicated that few species dominate the community matrix, while numerous remaining species occupy the small interstices among them. Three Cyperaceae species had the largest importance in the community, with Cladium jamaicense being the most frequent and having the largest cover along the river. Ward's site classification and NMDS ordination indicated the existence of four floristically and structurally different vegetation groups. Within sites, GLMMs showed a weak inverse relationship between species richness and distance from the river, but no relationship for plant cover. Fluvial geomorphology, and possibly regional geological heterogeneity, are the main factors determining the spatial variation of these herbaceous wetlands. Deep understanding of the relationship of herbaceous riparian wetlands with their environment will improve the prediction of the effects of modifications of fluvial dynamics and support efficient conservation strategies.
Medications known as ‘cognitive enhancers’ are increasingly being consumed off-label by healthy people, raising concerns about their safety. The aim of our study was to profile behavioral performance upon oral administration of methylphenidate (2.5 mg/kg) and modafinil (64 mg/kg) – two popular cognitive enhancers – and upon their discontinuation. We modeled cognitively demanding challenges in neurotypical individuals using a behavioral task where Wistar – Lewis rats had to withhold responses for a specified time to obtain food rewards. This task allowed us to extract several measures of behavioral performance associated with clinically meaningful indices, such as compulsive-like responding, incapacity to wait (impulsivity), time estimation (precision and accuracy), and attentional lapses. Our study design involved examining these behavioral indices in subjects administered either methylphenidate, modafinil, or vehicle. We found that subjects administered modafinil obtained fewer rewards and were less efficient in reward pursuing than the vehicle group; this result was likely due to a drug-induced inability to wait. Upon modafinil discontinuation, subjects earned more rewards but did not entirely catch up with the vehicle group. As for methylphenidate, neither favorable nor unfavorable effects were found in our main analyses. However, an exploratory analysis of changes in behavioral performance within sessions suggested that methylphenidate fostered favorable, yet short-lived, effects. We discuss our results in terms of the risks and cost-benefits of doses above or below the effective dose of cognitive enhancement drugs.
We present an experimental activity designed for upper secondary students, where a pH scale is constructed taking advantage of the ability of a pH indicator to display different colors according to the pH of the medium. To build the scale, two solutions are prepared: 1 M HCl (pH = 0) and 1 M NaOH (pH = 14). Each original solution undergoes six consecutive 1/10 dilutions, producing acidic solutions with pH values of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6; and basic solutions with pH values of 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8. Pure water (nominal pH = 7) serves as the reference. Upon adding the indicator, a beautiful rainbow of colors appears in the solution containers. To connect the experimental results with its mathematical representation, a written exercise is provided for students. This activity allows them to visually understand that, even though the change in pH is only one unit, the change in H ⁺ concentration is 10 times greater or smaller. Thus, pH is an exponential function, best expressed in logarithmic terms.
The continuous challenge of a competitive market in the manufacturing sector leads companies to improve their productive capabilities. The overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) metric comprises availability, performance, and quality factors. We maintain that the influence of these factors in calculating the OEE in the work dynamics must be considered to identify the management of the production system. Examples of virtual simulations of a line of operation are provided. These factors are modified to compare them with a general model and observe the daily effect in work centers. The result offered by the elaborate simulation helps in understanding the correct implementation of the OEE calculation methodology.
Introduction
Consumption of palatable food (PF) can lead to chronic overconsumption and obesity. Furthermore, adolescents may be vulnerable to excessively reinforcing foods, which increases the probability of developing overweight and obesity in adulthood. The role of PF availability in binge-like intake among adolescents without caloric needs remains unclear. The present study aimed to evaluate which PF access protocol is the most sensitive to induce increased caloric intake and binge-like eating during adolescence.
Methods
We used 24 male Wistar rats [30 postnatal days (PND)]; standard food and water were provided ad libitum. Rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: (a) continuous, daily access to PF; (b) intermittent, 1-day access/1-day no-access; or (c) weekend, 3 days-access/4 days no-access. All groups had 1 h access to PF (chocolate sandwich cookies). Access protocols were maintained for 6 weeks; afterward, rats underwent a 7-day withdrawal period, and were then evaluated on a binge-eating test.
Results
Chronic restricted PF access induces binge-like intake, with intermittent access resulting in the highest binge index. Additionally, caloric intake of PF increases over time during adolescence, with differential effects of intermittent and weekend access.
Conclusion
Chronic restricted access to PF during adolescence induces binge-like intake, with differences depending on PF availability. This can lead to chronic overconsumption under non-homeostatic conditions.
This study explores the experiences of humanitarian aid professionals working with unaccompanied migrant minors in Mexico. Using a qualitative research design, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with eight of these professionals (three men and five women), ages 30 to 45. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to decipher the rich narratives from the interviews. The findings of this study reveal the significant stress experienced by humanitarian aid workers in this context, shedding light on the coping strategies adopted to manage the psychological strain inherent to their roles. In addition to these insights, this study reveals key thematic elements encompassing these professionals’ perspectives on the migrant crisis and the challenges faced in their work.
Maize and sorghum have been recognized for their nutritional and agricultural properties and relevance. The primary objective of this research was to evaluate the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity (AC), and sensory attributes of gluten-free bread elaborated with nixtamalized sorghum and maize. Phenolic content was evaluated by Folin-Ciocalteu method and antioxidant capacity was assessed by ABTS (2,2’-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazo-line-6-sulfonic acid)) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl). The phenolic content of the bread samples ranged from 1.23–3.67 and from 2.41 to 6.22 mg GAE (gallic acid equivalents)/g sample for maize and sorghum breads, respectively. The AC was assessed using ABTS and DPPH radical, results of this parameter presented a strong correlation with phenolic content. Also, with the ABTS methodology lower values of AC were obtained. Breads elaborated with nixtamalized flours have antioxidant capacity. Among the breads evaluated, sorghum breads received higher overall acceptance as compared to maize breads and higher values of phenolic content and AC.
Several studies mention that having a “sense of community” promotes social welfare of families. In a previous study, it was observed that within the Cilantro’s Gully community, located in Santa Fe. Using techniques borrowed from art therapy worked during a workshop of 15 sessions with 10 mothers. These women were able to find support, enabling them to reflect and make changes in their life situation. They were starting to understand what living in community means, offering a new meaning to their family life. It is concluded that having a sense of community is a factor in a unit family’s well-being if it happens in a community.
Although complex and multifactorial, vulnerability reflects various trajectories with manifold implications, three primary dimensions of vulnerability—physical, psychological, and social—have been depicted across this book from a non-Western framework to accurately depict specific characteristics, interventions, and practices across multiple groups and contexts. Our authors have placed at the center of vulnerability research the perspectives and voices of those deemed vulnerable and potential stakeholders, such as practitioners and service managers, enlightening policy and practice shortcomings and biases to be addressed. Thus, after analyzing the edited collection and the work of our contributors, we seek to critically contribute to vulnerability research with an intersectionality lens so that vulnerability and vulnerability groups in low- and middle-income countries or emerging and developing countries are reframed seeking to respond appropriately and have a positive impact that will help build more just, inclusive, equitable, and diverse contemporary societies.
The following special section is a series of responses to Catherine Rottenberg’s This Is Not a Feminism Textbook (Goldsmiths University Press, 2023). This is the second book in the ‘This is not a . . . textbook’ series (the first being on science fiction) which describes itself as not ‘a purely commercial publishing venture’ but also an ‘outreach initiative in support of lifelong learning, and a mode of resistance against the marginalisation of the arts, humanities and social sciences in neoliberal economies’. The book consists of a series of entries on topics including families, bodies, sex/gender, motherhood, trans, disability, class, all pitched at an introductory level and written by academic scholars from a range of disciplinary backgrounds with a particular concentration in media and cultural studies. It is a book which is experimental in its format. The editor/curator, Catherine Rottenberg, is Professor of Media, Communications and Cultural Studies at Goldsmiths, University of London. Her books include The Rise of Neoliberal Feminism (2018) and Black Harlem and the Jewish Lower East Side (2014) and, with the Care Collective, The Care Manifesto: The Politics of Interdependence (2020). For this section, we start with an introductory conversation with Catherine Rottenberg before inviting a series of scholars to respond to the book – Srila Roy (Wits University, South Africa) Gabriela Méndez Cota (Universidad Iberoamericana, Mexico) Zainab Naqvi (Manchester Metropolitan University, United Kingdom). They were asked to consider questions raised by it: their initial response, questions of in/exclusion, its relationship to further feminist issues or how it intersects with the conjuncture they are in as they understand it. To begin with, however, we asked Catherine Rottenberg about the text, its context and production.
Introduction
Poverty is one of the macro factors that has been little studied in terms of its effect on death from COVID-19 since most studies have focused only on investigating whether the pandemic increased poverty or not. With that on mind, the present study aims to analyze how the social deprivations that comprise the measurement of municipal poverty in interaction with health comorbidities and sociodemographic characteristics, increased the probability of death from COVID-19.
Methods
The study is cross-sectional and covers daily reports on the conditions of COVID-19 in the Mexican population for almost 2 years. Using data from the National Epidemiological Surveillance System and the National Council for Evaluation of the Social Development Policy (N = 5,387,981), we employ a Generalized Linear Mixed Model (GLMM), specifically a binomial generalized linear mixed model.
Results
The findings indicate that, besides comorbidities, sociodemographic traits, and clinical aspects, living in a municipality where one or more of the social deprivations exist increases the probability of death. Specifically, in those municipalities where there is deprivation in education, social security, and food, as well as deprivation due to access to health services and deprivation in household services, the probability of death was greater.
Discussion
Living in a municipality with one or more of the social deprivations that compose poverty generated a greater probability of death. Each one of them or together, shows that poverty is a substantial factor for a pandemic like COVID-19 to worsen contagion and death, becoming a circle from which it is difficult to escape.
Background/Objectives: Genetic factors contribute to the physiopathology of obesity and its comorbidities. This study aimed to investigate the association of the SNPs ABCA1 (rs9282541), ADIPOQ (rs2241766), FTO (rs9939609), GRB14 (rs10195252), and LEPR (rs1805134) with various clinical, anthropometric, and biochemical variables. Methods: The study included 396 Mexican mestizo individuals with obesity and 142 individuals with normal weight. Biochemical markers were evaluated from peripheral blood samples, and SNP genotyping was performed using PCR with TaqMan probes. A genetic risk score (GRS) was computed using an additive model. Results: No significant associations were found between the SNPs ABCA1, ADIPOQ, FTO, and LEPR with obesity. However, the T allele of the GRB14 SNP was significantly associated with obesity (χ² = 5.93, p = 0.01; OR = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.08–2.12). A multivariate linear regression model (adjusted R-squared: 0.1253; p < 0.001) predicting LDL-c levels among all participants (n = 538) identified significant (p < 0.05) beta coefficients for several anthropometric and biochemical variables, as well as for the GRS. Additionally, the interaction between the GRS and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) showed a negative beta coefficient (BC = −26.5307; p = 0.014). Participants with a WHR < 0.839 showed no effect of GRS on LDL-c concentration, while those with a WHR > 0.839 exhibited a greater effect of GRS (~9) at lower LDL-c concentrations (~50 mg/dL) and a lesser effect of GRS (~7) at higher LDL-c concentrations (~250 mg/dL). Conclusions: A significant interaction between genetics and WHR influences LDL-c in Mexicans, which may contribute to the prevention and clinical management of dyslipidemia and cardiovascular disease.
Este artículo analiza las limitaciones y desafíos de la implementación de la Política Nacional de Educación Inicial (PNEI) en el Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF) de México, bajo el modelo del derecho a la educación de De Beco. El estudio explora cómo la PNEI afecta la calidad y accesibilidad de la educación inicial en contextos no integrados plenamente en la Secretaría de Educación Pública. Se utilizó un enfoque de estudio de caso, basado en observaciones y entrevistas durante cuatro meses en un Centro de Atención, Cuidado y Desarrollo Infantil del DIF. Se empleó análisis temático para documentar las condiciones del personal y las prácticas educativas dirigidas a infancias menores de tres años. Los resultados destacan las dificultades para transformar una fuerza laboral precaria y con alta rotación en una estable y capacitada, crucial para implementar un currículum congruente al enfoque de derechos. Se subraya la necesidad de integrar el DIF más efectivamente dentro de la PNEI para mejorar la calidad educativa y cumplir con los estándares de derechos en la educación infantil. Este estudio aporta al debate académico sobre políticas educativas inclusivas y su impacto en la equidad educativa y el desarrollo infantil en México.
El objetivo de este estudio es describir las vivencias de diez estudiantes de tercer grado de una secundaria diurna enclavada en el Pueblo de Santa Fe, en relación con la pandemia por Covid-19 y la desvinculación escolar que experimentaron en dicho contexto, con énfasis en el impacto que tuvo en sus trayectorias educativas y de vida. Para dar cuenta de ello, se realizó un estudio de caso en el que participaron adolescentes que se desvincularon de la escuela mediante el trabajo en cuatro sesiones en un grupo focal con el apoyo de herramientas creativas basadas en el arte. Con los resultados de esta investigación se espera visibilizar las vivencias de las y los adolescentes participantes sobre las principales problemáticas afrontadas durante la contingencia y su impacto en los procesos educativos, para sentar bases que permitan su análisis y comprensión.
We present Color Magnitude Diagrams (CMDs) created by using our database of 43,340 synthetic CMFGEN spectra. For each calculated spectra we measure the absolute flux by Johnson and Gaia photometry filters and build synthetic CMDs.
The interest in insects as food has increased in the latest years. Their use as low-moisture food ingredients has led to study their behavior during storage. The moisture sorption isotherms of Mexican edible insect᾽s flours (cricket-Acheta domesticus, mealworm-Tenebrio molitor, superworm-Zophoba morio, grasshopper-Sphenarium purpurascens, escamol-Liometopum apiculatum) were determined through the dynamic method. Mathematical models were used for fitting the adsorption and desorption curves and Akaike Information Criteria (AICi) was used to evaluate their performance. Hysteresis was determined quantitatively. The samples presented a BET Type II behavior; for adsorption and desorption, GAB and Peleg᾽s were the models with the best fitting according to the AICi, respectively. GAB (R2 ≥ 0.991) was used to determine M0, with values ranging between 4.14 (superworm-adsorption) and 6.40 gH2O/100 g d.s. (mealworm-desorption). Also, escamol desorption GAB C value was up to 12.6 times higher than the one observed in adsorption, being this one the less stable sample. The lowest areas of hysteresis were observed for cricket (1.32) and grasshopper (1.63), resulting in stable materials; this agreed with the C values of GAB. More studies are needed for the establishment of processing conditions of insects, information required for local producers to increase the insect market in Mexico and in the world.
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