The Endemism of the Vascular Flora of Mexico Present in Comarca Lagunera, an Agricultural Region in the Chihuahuan Desert

A study of the distribution of 321 taxa of endemic vascular plants of Mexico distributed in Comarca Lagunera, a region of northern central Mexico within the Chihuahuan Desert, was conducted. The analysis consisted in detecting the areas of high richness and with this information propose areas for the conservation of plant biodiversity in this region. The study includes an analysis of species richness at the level of political units (municipalities), vegetation types, and grid cells of 10 × 10 km. Additionally, the corrected weighted endemism index was calculated using the grid cells. The sites with the richest taxa are located in the mountain areas; however, these do not coincide with the sites with the highest index of endemism since a high percentage of taxa have a restricted distribution to one of the proposed units. Thirty-six taxa are recognized with restricted distribution to the boundaries of Comarca Lagunera, most of them considered as microendemics, which have been described in recent years. Therefore, it is necessary to establish biodiversity conservation programs in the region since much of Comarca Lagunera territory is dedicated to agricultural and industrial activities

De los objetivos a las prácticas

Esta investigación surge de la necesidad de trasmitir conocimiento retomando la identidad en la educación a lo largo de la historia, de mi propia formación y en mi quehacer como trasmisora de conocimiento; es así como me planteo la siguiente pregunta ¿cómo es que aprenden mis alumnos? y cuyo planteamiento surgió a partir de un curso de lógica y conjuntos que impartí hace algunos años al darme cuenta de los procesos cognitivos que desarrollaban mis estudiantes de licenciatura. Ahora en otro escenario me hago la misma pregunta y al estar en la comunidad de Santa María Tlahuitoltepec Mixe, Oaxaca puedo palpar la existencia de mis estudiantes trato de ver como miran la vida a través de las prácticas socialmente compartidas, que los hace ser lo que son como personas; este cuestionamiento me permite ver a los educandos como personas y no como objetos ya que, en el reconocimiento de la existencia del otro, nosotros reafirmamos nuestra propia identidad y auto conocimiento

Residential proximity to environmental pollution sources and risk of rare tumors in children

Background: Few epidemiologic studies have explored risk factors for rare tumors in children, and the role of environmental factors needs to be assessed. Objectives: To ascertain the effect of residential proximity to both industrial and urban areas on childhood cancer risk, taking industrial groups into account. Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study of five childhood cancers in Spain (retinoblastoma, hepatic tumors, soft tissue sarcomas, germ cell tumors, and other epithelial neoplasms/melanomas), including 557 incident cases from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011), and 3342 controls individually matched by year of birth, sex, and region of residence. Distances were computed from the residences to the 1271 industries and the 30 urban areas with ≥75,000 inhabitants located in the study area. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to industrial and urban pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for matching variables and socioeconomic confounders. Results: Children living near industrial and urban areas as a whole showed no excess risk for any of the tumors analyzed. However, isolated statistical associations (OR; 95%CI) were found between retinoblastoma and proximity to industries involved in glass and mineral fibers (2.49; 1.01-6.12 at 3km) and organic chemical industries (2.54; 1.10-5.90 at 2km). Moreover, soft tissue sarcomas registered the lower risks in the environs of industries as a whole (0.59; 0.38-0.93 at 4km). Conclusions: We have found isolated statistical associations between retinoblastoma and proximity to industries involved in glass and mineral fibers and organic chemical industries.This study was funded by Spain's Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria - FIS 12/01416) and Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (Fundación Científica de la Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC) – EVP-1178/14).N

Modification of the cardiometabolic risk and quality of life through an exercise program on Mexican breast cancer survivors

Background: Survival to breast cancer has increased all over the world; however, secondary and long-term side effects which may increase cardiometabolic risk (CMR) and deteriorate the quality of life of survivors may occur to oncological treatments. The objective of this work was to evaluate the modification of these factors after a combined and progressive exercise program. Methods: Self-controlled clinical study. Women younger than 65 years old, survivors of breast cancer, and with authorization from their oncologist signed an informed consent and followed a combined and progressive exercise program of 24 weeks. The CMR was evaluated with biochemical, anthropometric and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) parameters; the quality of life was evaluated (questionnaires SF-36 and FACT-B) at the beginning and end of the program. Descriptive statistics and evidence of Wilcoxon sign test were used (p <0.05, SPSS v20.0 Windows). Results: Thirty women, 52 year-old with a body mass index (BMI) of 28.9 kg/m2 were evaluated. After 24 weeks there was a significant improvement for the CRF with an increase of 2.9 METs and 10.1 mL*kg-1*min-1, and for the quality of life with an increase of 9.0 and 11.1 points (SF-36 and FACT- B respectively). The BMI decreased 1.1 kg/m2, the waist 3.7 cm, the fat mass 3.0% and the muscle mass increased 2.9%. Conclusions: The exercise program decreased the CMR by increasing CRF, improving body composition and decreasing abdominal fat mass; these results lead to the perception of a better quality of life.Financial support received from the Chief Executive Officer of Health Education of the Ministry of Health, Mexico, through the Quality Program in Health Care in the year 2015 (Official Document DGCES-DG-01649-2015)

Risk factors for central nervous system tumors in children: New findings from a case-control study

Background: Central nervous system tumors (CNS) are the most frequent solid tumor in children. Causes of CNS tumors are mainly unknown and only 5% of the cases can be explained by genetic predisposition. We studied the effects of environmental exposure on the incidence of CNS tumors in children by subtype, according to exposure to industrial and/or urban environment, exposure to crops and according to socio-economic status of the child. Methods: We carried out a population-based case-control study of CNS tumors in Spain, covering 714 incident cases collected from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996–2011) and 4284 controls, individually matched by year of birth, sex, and autonomous region of residence. We built a covariate to approximate the exposure to industrial and/or urban environment and a covariate for the exposure to crops (GCI) using the coordinates of the home addresses of the children. We used the 2001 Census to obtain information about socio-economic status (SES). We fitted logistic regression models to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Results: The results for all CNS tumors showed an excess risk (OR = 1.37; 95%CI = 1.09–1.73) for SES, i.e., children living in the least deprived areas had 37% more risk of CNS tumor than children living in the most deprived areas. For GCI, an increase of 10% in crop surface in the 1-km buffer around the residence implied an increase of 22% in the OR (OR = 1.22; 95%CI = 1.15–1.29). Children living in the intersection of industrial and urban areas could have a greater risk of CNS tumors than children who live outside these areas (OR = 1.20; 95%CI = 0.82–1.77). Living in urban areas (OR = 0.90; 95%CI = 0.65–1.24) or industrial areas (OR = 0.96; 95%CI = 0.81–1.77) did not seem to increase the risk for all CNS tumors together. By subtype, Astrocytomas, Intracranial and intraspinal embryonal tumors, and other gliomas showed similar results. Conclusion: Our results suggest that higher socioeconomic status and exposure to crops could increase the risk of CNS tumors in children

Association between residential proximity to environmental pollution sources and childhood renal tumors

FI=3.835 (año 2016), Q1Background: Few risk factors for childhood renal tumors are well established. While a small fraction of cases might be attributable to susceptibility genes and congenital anomalies, the role of environmental factors needs to be assessed. Objectives: To explore the possible association between residential proximity to environmental pollution sources (industrial and urban areas, and agricultural crops) and childhood renal cancer, taking into account industrial groups and toxic substances released. Methods: We conducted a population-based case-control study of childhood renal cancer in Spain, including 213 incident cases gathered from the Spanish Registry of Childhood Tumors (period 1996-2011), and 1278 controls individually matched by year of birth, sex, and region of residence. Distances were computed from the respective subject's residences to the 1271 industries, the 30 urban areas with ≥75,000 inhabitants, and the agricultural crops located in the study area. Using logistic regression, odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) for categories of distance to pollution sources were calculated, with adjustment for matching variables and socioeconomic confounders. Results: Excess risk (OR; 95%CI) of childhood renal tumors was observed for children living near (≤2.5km) industrial installations as a whole (1.97; 1.13-3.42) - particularly glass and mineral fibers (2.69; 1.19-6.08), galvanization (2.66; 1.14-6.22), hazardous waste (2.59; 1.25-5.37), ceramic (2.35; 1.06-5.21), surface treatment of metals (2.25; 1.24-4.08), organic chemical industry (2.22; 1.15-4.26), food and beverage sector (2.19; 1.18-4.07), urban and waste-water treatment plants (2.14; 1.07-4.30), and production and processing of metals (1.98; 1.03-3.82) -, and in the proximity of agricultural crops (3.16; 1.54-8.89 for children with percentage of crop surface ≥24.35% in a 1-km buffer around their residences). Conclusions: Our study provides some epidemiological evidence that living near certain industrial areas and agricultural crops may be a risk factor for childhood renal cancer.This study was funded by Spain's Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria - FIS 12/01416 and FIS CP11/00112).N

Combined Immune Defect in B-Cell Lymphoproliferative Disorders Is Associated with Severe Infection and Cancer Progression

This research received no external funding. K.G.-H is supported by The European Social Fund (ESF) through a Río Ortega Grant for Health Research Projects by the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) (CM20/00098).B cell chronic lymphoproliferative diseases (B-CLPD) are associated with secondary antibody deficiency and other innate and adaptive immune defects, whose impact on infectious risk has not been systematically addressed. We performed an immunological analysis of a cohort of 83 B-CLPD patients with recurrent and/or severe infections to ascertain the clinical relevance of the immune deficiency expression. B-cell defects were present in all patients. Patients with combined immune defect had a 3.69-fold higher risk for severe infection (p = 0.001) than those with predominantly antibody defect. Interestingly, by Kaplan–Meier analysis, combined immune defect showed an earlier progression of cancer with a hazard ratio of 3.21, than predominantly antibody defect (p = 0.005). When B-CLPD were classified in low-degree, high-degree, and plasma cell dyscrasias, risk of severe disease and cancer progression significantly diverged in combined immune defect, compared with predominantly antibody defect (p = 0.001). Remarkably, an underlying primary immunodeficiency (PID) was suspected in 12 patients (14%), due to prior history of infections, autoimmune and granulomatous conditions, atypical or variegated course and compatible biological data. This first proposed SID classification might have relevant clinical implications, in terms of predicting severe infections and cancer progression, and might be applied to different B-CLPD entities.Depto. de Inmunología, Oftalmología y ORLFac. de MedicinaTRUEpu

Neurotoxicity prevention with a multimodal program (ATENTO) prior to cancer treatment versus throughout cancer treatment in women newly diagnosed for breast cancer: Protocol for a randomized clinical trial

The authors thank the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (IDEAS19055CANT), the Spanish Ministry of Education Culture and Sport (MECD) (FPU17/00939, FPU18/03575), the Carlos III Health Institute (FI19/00230), and Carlos III Health Insitute and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) (PI18/01840), for funding this study and all participants of the study. IEC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. This study was part of a Ph.D thesis conducted in the Clinical Medicine and Public Health Doctoral Studies of the University of Granada, Spain. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials. Gov identifier: NCT04583124.A current challenge in breast cancer (BC) patients is how to reduce the side effects of cancer and cancer treatments and prevent a decrease in quality of life (QoL). Neurotoxic side effects, especially from chemotherapy, are present in up to 75% of women with BC, which implies a large impact on QoL. There is a special interest in the preventive possibilities of therapeutic exercise (TE) for these neurological sequelae, and the benefits of TE could be improved when it is combined with vagal activation techniques (VATs). This superiority randomized controlled trial aims to examine the feasibility and efficacy of an 8-week multimodal intervention (ATENTO) based on moderate-vigorous intensity and individualized TE (aerobic and strength exercises) and VAT (myofascial and breathing exercises), on neurotoxicity prevention in women with BC before starting adjuvant chemotherapy (ATENTO-B) versus throughout adjuvant chemotherapy (ATENTO-T). A sample of 56 women newly diagnosed with BC, as calculated with a power of 85%, will be randomly allocated into these two groups. This study could provide an impetus for the introduction of early multimodal intervention methods to prevent neurotoxicity and consequently avoid the QoL deterioration that BC patients presently suffer throughout their treatments.Fundacion Cientifica Asociacion Espanola Contra el Cancer IDEAS19055CANTSpanish Ministry of Education Culture and Sport FPU17/00939 FPU18/03575Instituto de Salud Carlos III FI19/00230 PI18/01840Fondos Estructurales de la Union Europea (FEDER) PI18/01840Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivenes

Biological and proteolytic variation in the venom of Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus from Mexico

Rattlesnake venoms may be classified according to the presence/absence and relative abundance of the neurotoxic phospholipases A2s (PLA2s), such as Mojave toxin, and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs). In Mexico, studies to determine venom variation in Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus scutulatus) are limited and little is known about the biological and proteolytic activities in this species. Tissue (34) and venom (29) samples were obtained from C. s. scutulatus from different locations within their distribution in Mexico. Mojave toxin detection was carried out at the genomic (by PCR) and protein (by ELISA) levels for all tissue and venom samples. Biological activity was tested on representative venoms by measuring LD50 and hemorrhagic activity. To determine the approximate amount of SVMPs, 15 venoms were separated by RP-HPLC and variation in protein profile and proteolytic activity was evaluated by SDS-PAGE (n = 28) and Hide Powder Azure proteolytic analysis (n = 27). Three types of venom were identified in Mexico which is comparable to the intraspecific venom diversity observed in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, USA: Venom Type A ( Type II), with Mojave toxin, highly toxic, lacking hemorrhagic activity, and with scarce proteolytic activity; Type B ( Type I), without Mojave toxin, less toxic than Type A, highly hemorrhagic and proteolytic; and Type A + B, containing Mojave toxin, as toxic as venom Type A, variable in hemorrhagic activity and with intermediate proteolytic activity. We also detected a positive correlation between SVMP abundance and hemorrhagic and proteolytic activities. Although more sampling is necessary, our results suggest that venoms containing Mojave toxin and venom lacking this toxin are distributed in the northwest and southeast portions of the distribution in Mexico, respectively, while an intergradation in the middle of both zones is presentConsejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia/[221343]/CONACYT/MéxicoUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Instituto Clodomiro Picado (ICP)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Salud::Facultad de Microbiologí

Therapeutic targeting of HER2–CB2R heteromers in HER2-positive breast cancer

There is a subtype of breast cancer characterized by the overexpression of the oncogene HER2. Although most patients with this diagnosis benefit from HER2-targeted treatments, some do not respond to these therapies and others develop resistance with time. New tools are therefore warranted for the treatment of this patient population, and for early identification of those individuals at a higher risk of developing innate or acquired resistance to current treatments. Here, we show that HER2 forms heteromer complexes with the cannabinoid receptor CB2R, the expression of these structures correlates with poor patient prognosis, and their disruption promotes antitumor responses. Collectively, our results support HER2–CB2R heteromers as new therapeutic targets and prognostic tools in HER2+ breast cancer