Biological and cultural diversity in the state of Oaxaca, México: Strategies for conservation among indigenous communities

Oaxaca es el estado de México con mayor diversidad biológica y cultural. Los pueblos originarios de Oaxaca son todos descendientes, total o parcialmente, de la antigua cultura madre Olmeca también conocida como “Pueblo del Jaguar”. Estos pueblos originarios actualmente están tratando de defender sus territorios y bienes naturales comunes de la explotación por parte de los gobiernos y las grandes empresas multinacionales. Oaxaca es el quinto estado más grande de México y comprende 12 regiones fisiográficas y 16 grupos etnolingüísticos originarios. La alta diversidad cultural que se observa en Oaxaca está interrelacionada con la considerable diversidad biológica y ambiental y debe entenderse que la protección de una depende de la protección de la otra. El conocimiento de la biodiversidad de Oaxaca continúa aumentando, especialmente entre los vertebrados tetrápodos. La diversidad cultural en Oaxaca, especialmente con respecto a los idiomas, es la más diversa en todo México. En varias comunidades, ejidos y con pequeños propietarios existe un sistema de Áreas Comunitarias de Conservación, que permiten la protección de diversas especies no incluidas dentro de las ANPs federales, así como cuerpos de agua y los bosques dentro del estado. Estas ACC son parte de un movimiento de resistencia contra la participación en el sistema formal de ANP por decreto. Los pueblos indígenas de Oaxaca son parte de una comunidad global de personas que se sabe que son responsables de la protección de alrededor del 80% de la biodiversidad remanente del mundo. Los propios esfuerzos del gobierno mexicano por la conservación se remontan a la administración del presidente Lázaro Cárdenas de Río. Los intentos de manejo forestal comunitario de los pueblos indígenas de todo el mundo han sido apoyados o no por los gobiernos federales. Los pueblos indígenas de la Sierra Madre de Oaxaca están utilizando el ecoturismo de bajo impacto como un medio adicional para conservar sus tierras y para apoyar estilos de vida sostenibles, al tiempo que se resisten a los esfuerzos de explotación de los grupos no indígenas de la sociedad. El Corredor Interoceánico constituye la amenaza más significativa para los esfuerzos de estos grupos indígenas, así como otras actividades comerciales a gran escala realizadas por grandes consorcios industriales suscritos por sus aliados políticos en el gobierno federal, cuestionando por qué las ANPs que existen realmente a qué personas se suponen un beneficio. A la luz de esta realidad, hemos realizado una serie de recomendaciones para el alivio de estos problemas a los pueblos originarios que permitan continuar con sus esfuerzos de preservación de la biodiversidad nativa y su propia diversidad cultura

The herpetofauna of Veracruz, Mexico: composition, distribution, and conservation status

The herpetofauna of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, currently consists of 359 species, including 76 anurans, 45 caudates, one caecilian, one crocodylian, 217 squamates, and 19 turtles. The distribution of the herpetofaunal species are catalogued here among the four recognized physiographic regions in the state. The total number of species ranges from 179 in the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas to 236 in the Sierra Madre Oriental. The number of species shared among the four physiographic regions ranges from 100 between the Gulf Coastal Lowlands and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, to 190 between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt. A similarity dendrogram based on the Unweighted Pair Group Method with Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA) depicts two distinct clusters, one between the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Transmexican Volcanic Belt, and the other between the Gulf Coastal Lowlands and the Sierra de Los Tuxtlas. The former cluster refects two adjacent regions in highland environments that share a substantial number of herpetofaunal species, and the latter cluster shares a sizeable number of wide-ranging, generalist, lowland species found on the Atlantic and Pacifc versants of Mexico and Central America. The level of herpetofaunal endemism is relatively high, with 182 of 359 species either endemic to Mexico or to Veracruz. The distributional categorization of the total herpetofauna is as follows: 169 non-endemic species; 138 country endemic species; 44 state endemic species; and eight non-native species. The 169 non-endemic species are allocated to the following distributional categories: MXCA (89), MXSA (30), MXUS (29), USCA (11), USSA (four), and OCEA (fve). The principal environmental threats to the herpetofauna of Veracruz include deforestation, livestock, roads, water pollution, myths and other cultural factors, diseases, invasive species, and illegal commerce. The conservation status of each native species was evaluated using the SEMARNAT, IUCN, and EVS systems, of which the EVS system proved to be the most useful. The Relative Herpetofaunal Priority method was employed to determine the rank order signifcance of the four regions, and this identifed the Sierra Madre Oriental as the region of greatest importance. Only six protected areas exist in Veracruz, most of which are located in the Gulf Coastal Lowlands, the region of least conservation signifcance. The area of greatest signifcance, the Sierra Madre Oriental, does not contain any protected areas. A total of 265 species have been recorded within the six protected areas, of which 138 are non-endemics, 89 are country endemics, 31 are state endemics, and seven are non-natives. Finally, we provide a set of conclusions and recommendations to enhance the prospects for the future protection of the herpetofauna of Veracruz

Mesoamerican salamanders (Amphibia:Caudata) as a conservation focal group

Las salamandras constituyen el segundo orden más grande de anfibios en el mundo. Las 762 especies que ocurren a nivel mundial están organizadas en nueve familias, de las cuales ocho se encuentran en el hemisferio occidental. Las 308 especies de salamandras mesoamericanas están distribuidas en cuatro familias, solo dos de las cuales tienen representantes que se encuentran significativamente al sur de la frontera de México y Estados Unidos. Esas dos familias son Ambystomatidae, con 18 especies mesoamericanas, y Plethodontidae, con 287 especies. La mayoría de las salamandras mesoamericanas son endémicas de México o Centroamérica o de Mesoamérica en general. La mayor cantidad de especies endémicas pertenece a los géneros Ambystoma, Bolitoglossa, Chiropterotriton, Nototriton, Oedipina, Pseudoeurycea y Thorius. La mayor diversidad de salamandras se encuentra en México, seguido en orden por Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panamá, Nicaragua, El Salvador y Belice. La cantidad de endemismo varía en orden de mayor a menor en Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Panamá, El Salvador y Belice. La mayoría de las especies de salamandras mesoamericanas ocupan el nivel de prioridad de conservación uno, con un total de 244 especies y el 88.4% de las 276 especies endémicas de México y Centroamérica. Estas 244 especies constituyen un grupo de enfoque de conservación clave para Mesoamérica basado en varios criterios. La mayoría de las especies del nivel de prioridad de conservación uno, están ubicadas en la Mesa Central, la Sierra Madre Occidental, la Sierra Madre Oriental, la Sierra Madre del Sur, la Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, las tierras altas de Centroamérica nuclear occidental y oriental, las tierras altas del Istmo de Centroamérica y las tierras altas del este de Panamá. En términos generales, la importancia del recurso de biodiversidad representado por las salamandras mesoamericanas no es tomado en cuenta fuera de un pequeño grupo de herpetólogos y taxónomos interesados en la conservación del grupo en la región. No obstante, estas salamandras están actualmente amenazadas por las actividades destructivas de los humanos y potencialmente amenazadas por la posibilidad de la invasión de sus hábitats por el hongo quítrido Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. Nuestra conclusión es que las salamandras mesoamericanas deberían ser promovidas como un grupo de enfoque de conservación por varias razones. Adicionalmente, sugerimos que estas salamandras se conviertan en el tema de un congreso científico que aborde la preparación de un plan para la protección de la diversidad y endemismo de estos anfibios para la perpetuidad lo más pronto posibl

The Concept of Theme as Used in Qualitative Nursing Research

The concept of theme is critical to the accurate interpretation of qualitative data. A literature review of qualitative research methodology and nursing research studies reveals considerable diversity in the identification of themes, the interpretation of the concept, and its function in data analysis. Part of the problem is the transfer of research methods from other disciplines to the study of nursing phenomena. The transfer often results in a blending of distinct research methods that compromises methodological rigor in data analysis and theory generation. A definition of theme is developed from the literature review and interdisciplinary definitions and descriptions. Five aspects of a theme and criteria foundational to the definition and concept of theme are identified. Implications of the concept of theme are presented for the conduct and application of research findings to the practice and development of nursing science

Intergenerational Concepts of Adolescent Sexuality: Implications for Community‐Based Reproductive Health Care with Haitian Immigrants

Intergenerational conflict occurs when immigrant parents hold different values from those of their more rapidly acculturating offspring. These conflicts frequently involve disparate views related to sex roles and reproduction. A community‐based study of 19 immigrant Haitian parent‐adolescent pairs in South Florida compared their attitudes and values about sexuality and reproduction. Data were obtained through focused, open‐ended interviews. Content analysis procedures at the level of words and phrases facilitated the categorization of responses. Data revealed considerable differences between parents and adolescents about the sources and types of information learned about reproduction and contraception, when such information is learned, and expectations regarding premarital sexual intercourse. Both parents and adolescents lacked accurate biomedical information about contraception, placed responsibility for contraceptive use primarily on the female partner, considered reproduction a natural rather than a medical event, and believed parents have the major responsibility for educating children about reproduction and contraception. Implications for culturally‐appropriate health care center on increasing the role of the public health nurse in health education, minimizing intergenerational and intercultural conflict, and engaging the Haitian immigrant community in the promotion of reproductive health

Exploiting ELIOT for Scaffold-Repurposing Opportunities: TRIM33 a Possible Novel E3 Ligase to Expand the Toolbox for PROTAC Design

The field of targeted protein degradation, through the control of the ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS), is progressing considerably; to exploit this new therapeutic modality, the proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology was born. The opportunity to use PROTACs engaging of new E3 ligases that can hijack and control the UPS system could greatly extend the applicability of degrading molecules. To this end, here we show a potential application of the ELIOT (E3 LIgase pocketOme navigaTor) platform, previously published by this group, for a scaffold-repurposing strategy to identify new ligands for a novel E3 ligase, such as TRIM33. Starting from ELIOT, a case study of the cross-relationship using GRID Molecular Interaction Field (MIF) similarities between TRIM24 and TRIM33 binding sites was selected. Based on the assumption that similar pockets could bind similar ligands and considering that TRIM24 has 12 known co-crystalised ligands, we applied a scaffold-repurposing strategy for the identification of TRIM33 ligands exploiting the scaffold of TRIM24 ligands. We performed a deeper computational analysis to identify pocket similarities and differences, followed by docking and water analysis; selected ligands were synthesised and subsequently tested against TRIM33 via HTRF binding assay, and we obtained the first-ever X-ray crystallographic complexes of TRIM33α with three of the selected compounds

Mesoamerican salamanders (Amphibia: Caudata) as a conservation focal group

Salamanders constitute the second largest order of amphibians in the world. The 762 species occurring globally are organized into nine families, of which eight are found in the Western Hemisphere. The 308 species of Mesoamerican salamanders are arranged in four families, only two of which have representatives occurring significantly south of the US-Mexican border. Those two families are the Ambystomatidae, with 18 Mesoamerican species, and the Plethodontidae, with 287 species. Most of the Mesoamerican salamanders are endemic to either Mexico or Central America or to Mesoamerica in general. The largest number of endemic species belong to the genera Ambystoma, Bolitoglossa, Chiropterotriton, Nototriton, Oedipina, Pseudoeurycea, and Thorius. The greatest amount of salamander diversity is found in Mexico, followed in order by that in Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Belize. The amount of endemicity in Central America ranges in order from highest to lowest in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, and Belize. Most species of Mesoamerican salamanders occupy conservation priority level one, amounting to 244 species and 88.4% of the 276 Mexican and Central American endemic species. These 244 species constitute a key conservation focal group for Mesoamerica based on several criteria. Most of the priority level one species are in the Mesa Central, Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre del Sur, Sierra de Los Tuxtlas, Western and Eastern Nuclear Central American Highlands, Isthmian Central American Highlands, and the Highlands of Eastern Panama. The significance of the biodiversity resource represented by Mesoamerican salamanders is not emphasized outside of a small cadre of conservation herpetologists and systematists working in the region. Nonetheless, these salamanders are threatened currently by the destructive activities of humans and potentially endangered by the possibility of the invasion of their habitats by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans. Our conclusion is that Mesoamerican salamanders should be recognized as a conservation focal group for several reasons outlined herein. In addition, we suggest that these salamanders become the subject of a scientific congress tasked with promptly preparing a plan for protecting the diversity and endemicity of these amphibians for perpetuity

Discovery of novel SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors targeting the main protease Mpro by virtual screenings and hit optimization

Two years after its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 still represents a serious and global threat to human health. Antiviral drug development usually takes a long time and, to increase the chances of success, chemical variability of hit compounds represents a valuable source for the discovery of new antivirals. In this work, we applied a platform of variably oriented virtual screening campaigns to seek for novel chemical scaffolds for SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) inhibitors. The study on the resulting 30 best hits led to the identification of a series of structurally unrelated Mpro inhibitors. Some of them exhibited antiviral activity in the low micromolar range against SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses (HCoVs) in different cell lines. Time-of-addition experiments demonstrated an antiviral effect during the viral replication cycle at a time frame consistent with the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity. As a proof-of-concept, to validate the pharmaceutical potential of the selected hits against SARS-CoV-2, we rationally optimized one of the hit compounds and obtained two potent SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors with increased activity against Mpro both in vitro and in a cellular context, as well as against SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells. This study significantly contributes to the expansion of the chemical variability of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors and provides new scaffolds to be exploited for pan-coronavirus antiviral drug development